Coming from Vienna

[MIG-15]

Chapter 1: Ya
The Ausgleich of February 1867 which inaugurated the Empire's dualist structure in place of the former unitary Austrian Empire originated at a time when Austria had declined in strength and in power -- both in the Italian peninsula and in greater Germany. Other factors in the constitutional changes included continued Hungarian dissatisfaction with rule from Vienna, and increasing national consciousness on the part of other nationalities of the Austrian Empire. Hungarian dissatisfaction grew partially from Austria's suppression, with Russian support, of the Hungarian liberal revolution of 1848 – 1849. However, dissatisfaction with Austrian rule had grown for many years within Hungary, and had many causes.

In an effort to shore up support for the monarchy, Emperor Franz Joseph began negotiations for a compromise with the Magyar nobility to ensure their support. Some members of the government, such as Austrian prime minister Count Belcredi, advised the Emperor to make a more comprehensive constitutional deal with all of the nationalities that would have created a federal structure. Belcredi worried that an accommodation with the Magyar interests would alienate the other nationalities. However, Franz Joseph was unable to ignore the power of the Magyar nobility, and they would not accept anything less than dualism between themselves and the traditional Austrian élites.

In particular, Hungarian leaders demanded and received the Emperor's coronation as King of Hungary as a re-affirmation of Hungary's historic privileges, and the establishment of a separate parliament at Budapest with the powers to enact laws for the historic lands of the Hungarian crown, though on a basis which would preserve the political dominance of Hungarian minority and the exclusion from effective power of the country's large Romanian and Slavic populations.On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, heir presumptive to his uncle the Emperor Franz Josef, visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo where Bosnian Serb militants of the nationalist group Mlada Bosna, supplied by the violent Serbian militant group Black Hand, ambushed his convoy and assassinated him.

After the Congress of Berlin the Empire's military spending didn't even double, while that of Germany rose fivefold, and British, Russian and French rose threefold. The Empire had previously lost ethnically Italian areas to Piedmont due to nationalist movements sweeping through Italy, and many Austro-Hungarians felt the threat of losing the southern territories inhabited by Slavs to Serbia as imminent. Serbia had recently gained a significant amount of territory in the Second Balkan War of 1913, causing much distress in government circles in Vienna and Budapest. Some members of the government, such as Conrad von Hötzendorf had wanted to confront the resurgent Serbian nation for some years. The leadership of Austria-Hungary, especially Count Leopold von Berchtold, backed by its ally Germany, decided to confront Serbia militarily before it could incite a revolt: using the assassination as an excuse, they presented a list of ten demands expecting Serbia would never accept. When Serbia accepted nine of the ten demands but only partially accepted the remaining one, Austria-Hungary declared war.

These events brought the Empire into conflict with Serbia and over the course of July and August 1914, caused the start of World War I, as Russia mobilized in support of Serbia, setting off a series of counter-mobilizations.

Italy initially remained neutral, although it had an alliance with Austria-Hungary. In 1915 it switched to the side of the Entente powers, hoping to gain territory from Austria-Hungary.

General Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf was the Chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff during the war. Under his command, Austro-Hungarian troops were involved in much of the fighting in the Great War.

At the start of the war, the army was divided in two, the smaller half attacked Serbia while the larger half fought against the massive Russian army. The 1914 invasion of Serbia was a disaster, by the end of the year the Austrian army had taken no territory and had lost 227,000 men.

On the Eastern front, things started out equally badly. The Austrian army was defeated at the Battle of Lemberg and the mighty fort city of Przemysl was besieged.

In May of 1915, Italy joined the Allies and attacked Austria-Hungary. The bloody but indecisive fighting on the Italian front would last for the next three and a half years.

In the summer, the Austrian army, working under a unified command with the Germans, participated in the successful Gorlice-Tarnow_Offensive.

Later in 1915, the Austrian army, in conjunction with the German and Bulgarian armies, conquered Serbia.

In 1916, the Russians focused their attacks on the Austrian-Hungarian army in the Brusilov Offensive. The Austrian armies took massive losses and never recovered. The Austro-Hungarian war effort became more and more subordinate to the direction of German planners. Supply shortages, low morale, and the high casualty rate seriously effected the operational abilities of the army.

The last two successes for the Austrians: the Conquest of Romania and the Capporeto Offensive, were largely German operations.

In June 1918, Conrad attempted a double edged offensive with the bulk of remaining Austro-Hungarian forces against Italy. It failed and in October 1918, an Italian-led Allied army couter-attacked, gaining victory in the battle of Vittorio Veneto, destroying the last of the Austrian Army. Concluding with the Treaty of Versaiiles Austria was a little fish in a big pond. In the 20s economical challenges forced the coming of Otto I.

[MIG-15]

Gainig Lands
With the rise of Otto I came a shining light to the people of Austria. He promised to reassert Austria as a major nation. With a series of politocal manuvering and military bluff Czech and Italian seceded the cities of Tabor and Trento to Otto's Austria.


Tabor's City Hall & an overview of Trento
German relations with Austria were good although Otto wants to incoperate Germany into the Austrian Riech. With Hitler's help Austria gained weapons and industry to gain footing.

Austrian troops with German equipment

[MIG-15]

what was Otto's real name?

[W. Iljitsch]

Originally Posted by MIG-15

what was Otto's real name?

Franz Josef Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xavier Felix René Ludwig Gaetano Pius Ignazius von Habsburg.

[MIG-15]

will this do?

[MIG-15]

Österreich-Magyarország
April 1936
Austia has sighned a non-agression pact with Italy allowing the official war against the facists of Hungary and free the people of Hungary. With the whole Imperialer Österreicher Armee aginst them the Hungarians stood no chance.